Media training for executives, boards & leaders
Media-ready. Message-strong.
A single interview or misstep can go viral in seconds. One awkward pause, off-message soundbite or unprepared response can overshadow your mission and derail trust in your brand.
At Werking Communication, we don’t just prepare you to survive the spotlight, we help you own it. Because media moments aren’t just risks, they’re powerful opportunities to tell your story, shape your narrative, and elevate your impact.
Be ready when the mic finds you
What’s included in our media training
Our media training sessions are led by former broadcast and print journalists who know exactly what reporters want, how stories get told, and how to keep you in control of your message.
You’ll receive:
Customized media messaging and talking points tailored to your organization’s mission
Spokesperson and thought leadership coaching with live interview practice and real-time feedback
A behind-the-scenes understanding of how the media works and how to pitch your story
Techniques for staying composed, handling tough questions, and delivering clear soundbites
Whether you're prepping for a press conference, a podcast, or a surprise interview in the hallway, you’ll walk away with confidence, clarity, and control.
Meet the Team
At Werking Communication, media training is led by two seasoned professionals who know how the media works and how to help you thrive in it. Dr. Jo Ellen Werking Weedman, a former journalist and communication professor, combines strategic storytelling expertise with a deep understanding of public relations. Emmy Award-winning journalist Claire Kopsky brings more than a decade of on-air reporting and newsroom experience, helping clients avoid common media pitfalls and deliver with poise and purpose. Together, they offer practical, story-first coaching that equips leaders, executives, and teams to navigate high-stakes interviews, press moments, and public appearances with confidence and clarity.
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FounderJo Ellen is the founder of Werking Communication, a strategic media training and public speaking communication firm that helps leaders communicate with clarity, confidence, and competence. She is a media trainer, public speaking coach and content strategy consultant with a background in journalism and more than 20 years of experience as a professor and consultant. Jo Ellen has trained executives, nonprofit directors, and subject matter experts to prepare for interviews, panels, high-stakes presentations, and crisis communication. Known for her story-first training method, Jo Ellen empowers professionals to refine their message, manage their nerves, and tell their unique story well. Whether she’s working in a boardroom or a classroom, Jo Ellen brings energy, empathy, and a deep belief in the power of preparation.
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Senior Media Consultant
Claire is an Emmy Award-winning, multimedia journalist and anchor turned consultant with more than a decade of experience telling stories. She founded Impressions Consulting Group (ICG) after her reporting career in Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; and mid-Missouri. She conducted thousands of interviews during her time in the broadcast industry and daily found herself coaching executives, politicians, business owners, parents, and everyone in between how to present themselves. From body language to crafting a sentence to fit a message and desired tone, that’s Claire’s specialty.
While working in television, she covered the gamut: breaking state and city political news; the Covenant School shooting on the ground and from a helicopter; a Governor's inditement; multi-part investigations exposing corrupt local education leaders and contractors; three Kentucky Derbies where she earned her Emmy Award; historic flooding, snow and tornado devastation; stories of social injustices; stories about people making a difference; and stories about the lives of those with special needs.
Her reports about the disability community earned her the 2022 Arc Tennessee Public Awareness Award—specifically for a story that helped change a law to increase the number of adult sized changing tables in the state. While storytelling on a traditional news platform, Claire approached stories with a fresh take, always looking for ways to give viewers a peek behind the curtain to learn something new. Her work has been published by the Associated Press, CBS News, CBS Mornings, CBS Weekend Roundup, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, Inside Edition and US News and World Report.
Claire is a media professional through and through with a multimedia and broadcast Journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She’s mastered pinpointing the media medium that will garner the most impressions for countless topics and industries. From her reporting background, she knows the quotes a journalist will choose and the questions they’ll ask to lead to the answer they think they are looking for. She’s seen first hand which phrases an individual or business should avoid or include to control the message they want to convey. She believes everyone deserves the chance to tell their story well and is passionate about helping individuals and companies alike sharpen and then deliver their mission statements in a conversational, impactful and approachable way.
Corporate executives, nonprofit leaders, small business and trade organization teams and spokespeople
From the boardroom to the newsroom, we train leaders who want to communicate with purpose and show up prepared for any media opportunity.
Who we train
Media coaching trusted by nonprofits, companies, and associations
“Our association hired Dr. Weedman to prepare our leadership team with local and national media and she far exceeded our expectations. Her skills, expertise and years of knowledge in the media have set our team up for success and we’re already seeing improvements. If you’re a non-profit, corporation or just looking to sharpen your skills in media, Dr. Weedman is the best person for the job.”
- Blake Stewart, Marketing Communications and Public Relations Director, Greater Nashville REALTORS®